Look Before You Leap
by Godsliltippy
Summary: Choices have consequences - good or bad - and Gordon learns the hard way that sometimes, his ocean is a dangerous mistress.


It wasn't a vacation, but for Gordon, it was as close as they were going to get to one as a whole family. And much to his delight, this one involved pristine beaches just out back of the mansion they were being housed.

Technically, this was a working vacation for John and Brains who had been asked to speak at a local college. And since it was located off the southern coast of Mexico - Barra de Teco-something or other - his brother had been happy to assist the scientist.

The other Tracys would not be as useful on this trip, however, and Gordon, along with Virgil's help, had decided a swim would be an appropriate way to start the festivities.

Which lead them to the edge of the water, four of the five in swim trunks, the fifth already off to educate open minds.

"Scott, you comin?" Virgil called over his shoulder and Gordon turned to see their brother laying out his towel before taking a seat. A splash in the other direction let him know Alan was already enjoying the water.

"Think I'm just going to catch some rays, take a nap." The brunette adjusted his aviators and leaned back.

A glance to Virgil and he hoped his second eldest could read the mischief on his face. Another turn and he nodded to the floating dock that lazily bobbed with the gentle waves. When they looked at each other again, pilot and copilot were in complete agreement.

Virgil took the upper body - because bigger and stronger beat faster in that department - Gordon grabbing the legs before they could gain traction.

"Guys, put me down," Scott offered with a calm that only came with being Gordon's eldest brother and authority figure.

"No can do, Scooter," the blonde teased as he readjusted the legs under his arms. They slowed as they hit the dock and Scott calmed, accepting the inevitable. "Everyone gets to go in. You'll thank me later." And he gave a beaming smile before they reached the end and he alerted Virgil. "On three."

"One -" they began to slowly swing their brother back and forth, Gordon trying not to laugh at the defeated look on Scott's face. "Two - three!"

And liftoff! The brunette gave a yelp as both men hurled him a good ten feet out. Gordon's grin grew and he looked down to see just where his brother would be landing - and froze.

The smile fell and instinct kicked in, taking the needed steps back even as he heard the splash.

"Stay on the dock!" He yelled as he ran forward, desperate to get as much distance as he could. With a hard kick of the end, he launched, well aware it wasn't far enough. If he'd had a proper amount of time to prepare, he might have cleared well past Scott, but he was painfully aware he hadn't.

The water felt like water, but with a million bees in it, all stinging him as he collided with them. His only saving grace, he had been mentally prepared. Scott hadn't.

Gordon surfaced with a sputtering gasp, trying to ignore the needles of pain as he paddled towards the shadowy figure still under the layers of jellyfish. Scott would be panicking - hell, Gordon was close to it - and it was the sense that his brother was in trouble that kept the aquanaut from losing it.

He dove, fresh stings peppering his face and he grabbed an arm that was flailing against the sea creatures. The connection was like electricity and they both shot up, Scott choking out the water that had made its way into his lungs.

"Gord-"

"I've got ya, bro," the blonde already had his brother's back against him as he kicked them towards the dock and their brothers waiting on the end. Apparently, they'd both noticed the danger.

Every foot was another wave of needles in his back and he suddenly wished they hadn't been so zealous with their toss.

"Almost there," Virgil encouraged, but it still seemed like an eternity before he felt a hand brush his hair to stop him from crashing into the dock. That same hand caught one of Scott's arms, another set - Alan - pulling off a jellyfish before taking the other side.

In one swift motion, Scott was out and Gordon could breathe.

And that was dangerous in it's own sense as he felt his arms grow heavy with the burning ache. His hand grabbed at the edge of the dock and he barely got one arm up before he felt his muscles seize.

"V-Virg -" Gordon wasn't sure why he was worried. The engineer was already turning away from a hunched over Scott. Alan had disappeared though, but he wasn't needed for Virgil to pull the aquanaut from the water.

"Gah! These things suck!" The older brother swore as he pulled off a jellyfish that had been unlucky enough to be attached to the blonde. It made a gentle splash as Virgil tossed it back.

"Stings," Gordon grit out. "S'more applicable - hurts - definitely." He let out a growl as he pushed himself up, still focused on the reason he'd gone swimming through a swarm of jellyfish. "Scott?"

The eldest brother was breathing hard, his arms shaking to keep him upright and suddenly an overwhelming guilt twisted Gordon's gut. This was his fault, regardless if Scott had been a willing participant or not. The ocean was his life and he knew better than to jump in without checking the area first. Sure, their host hadn't mentioned a gargantuan jellyfish swarm when they'd arrived, but there were signs of a recent storm. That storm could have brought any number of creatures with it.

"Scott? Talk to me," Virgil took over, possibly feeling just as burdened by their decision.

A couple of short coughs wracked Scott's whole body until the tremors turned into steady shivers. "This - sucks."

"I don't doubt it. I'm just glad they're moon jellies." That was an understatement. If they had been one of the more venomous - he didn't want to imagine where he and Scott would be right now. "I sent Alan back the the house to get Thunderbird 2. We should have you to the hospital in a few minutes."

Hospital? That sent a different kind of ache through him - of familiarity and needles and medications - but it was quickly overtaken by the continued assault on his skin and his seized muscles. Scott went down first, his attempts to stay partially upright finally failing and sending him to the weathered dock. Gordon took a shambling crawl forward, but only made it a few inches before he joined his eldest brother.

"Whoa, you two just hold still," a hand grazed his shoulder and Gordon tried to suppress the cry that followed the agony that blossomed under the touch. He was vaguely aware of Scott's voice as well, though he sounded vaguely like fifteen year old Scott after he'd broken his wrist falling from a horse. Gordon had been terrified of the animals for some time until their grandfather had explained his big brother had been trying to stand up while riding.

The sound still scared him. Scott wasn't supposed to sound like that.

"S-sorry Scott," the blonde gasped out, feeling a tightness in his throat, making the words sound strained as he tried to peel an eyelid open. "Shoulda - l-looked -"

"Gordon?" Virgil was blocking his view and his vision blurred, but the blonde was certain there was concern on his brother's face. "Hey, getting enough air?"

Air? That was a silly question. A breath in to show his brother he was - he wasn't. It was like cotton had been shoved down his throat and just enough was getting in to keep him from passing straight out. Alarm followed as the realization hit both of them at once and his swelling lids went as wide as the reaction would let them.

"Gordon! Gords, calm down! Breathe - slow. C'mon, you've got this," Virgil's tone had grown increasingly authoritative, almost demanding Gordon listen. Movement to his right and Scott was shuffling into view, more from that sense of responsibility for his little brother than recovery from his own affliction.

"Alan'll - be here soon," the brunette wheezed, trying to do his own part, but still managing to convey the struggle of just moving.

A thought bubbled around his fogging mind, Gordon wondering how Scott could still be conscious. Stubbornness, maybe? Probably because he's taller. Gordon's always felt like a shrimp around their commander. Or maybe it was the wall Gordon had created swimming back - keep the jellies off the brother he threw in the water.

His own fault.

The sound of his second favorite 'bird still sounded miles away when the fog turned their beautiful sunny day to night and his brother's voices mixed with the sound of gentle waves hitting a beach.

Now, this was going to suck.

Gordon came to in the medical bay of Thunderbird 2, still feeling like his body was on fire, but at least he could breathe the sweet oxygen oozing through the mask. A used EpiPen sat on the tray next to him and Virgil not far from it.

And then, his big brother turned into his little, Alan already spraying him down with a solution that was quickly reducing the flames.

"Hey, bro," the astronaut beamed to hide the too obvious fright Gordon had caused. "Feeling better?"

He took in a few strong breaths and nodded. The fire was lessened, but the tentacles attached to his skin continued to fuel the needles.

"Good, great - okay," the teen fretted his lower lip as he went about returning the spray back to the medical table. He came back with gloves and tweezers and Gordon was well aware - and grateful - for his little brother's next task. "Virg is getting Scott in and we'll be outta here." The metal prongs caught at a tiny barb and pulled it free, followed by another.

Whatever Virgil and Scott had been doing, it took long enough for Alan to get forty-three of the appendages from his bare chest - he knew, he was counting - and Gordon was relieved to see Scott walking on his own power, a towel over his shoulders. Virgil was guiding him to the other bed where he dutifully sat. Blue eyes found him immediately and Gordon tried to smile. Smiles always fixed bad things.

Or was that just for him? Gordon was only able to recall Scott's frustration at the cheeky grins, but that was because the blonde had been a menace at the time. That was his job.

This wasn't. He wasn't supposed to give his brother those tears at the corners of his eyes.

"They're all yours, Al," though Virgil didn't sound pleased to be leaving. "I'll let you know our ETA when I have one."

"FAB," Alan called, still picking at the barbs. "Scott? You holding up okay? Did Virg spray you yet?"

"Yes and yes," the answer was raspy with pain and fatigue. "Just focus on Gordon."

"S'rry S'ott," Gordon slurred behind his mask, wishing his brother could get as much - if not more - care than he was getting right now. "R'lly s-so-mmmngh"

"Stop, just work on breathing, Gordo. Scott knows you're sorry," Alan chided with another yank of the tweezers. "Isn't that right, Scott?"

A grunt and then a hasty, "Yeah, not your fault. No one saw the jellyfish."

"Shoulda checked -"

"Not your responsibility," the younger blonde's tone was stern, making him sound more like their brother across the way. "I was in the water first. By all rights, I should've seen them well before you guys hit the dock. The important thing is you both got out alive."

Gordon watched as Scott's attention turned to their little brother and a smile tugged at the brunette's face. Hearing Alan take charge of a situation was still so new to all of them. When the blue eyes shifted back to him, the smile remained.

"You swam through jellyfish to save me," and even though the smile turned into a grimace as Scott fought through the pins and needles, it came back just as strong. "Thanks, Squirt."

Maybe it was the artificial adrenaline mixing with the fatigue of strained muscles - he could blame it on his swollen eyelids if need be - but a tear slid free, bumping over the pock marks on his cheek. It honestly helped the burning, but his brothers had enough to deal with. No need to add a weepy aquanaut to the mix.

Now a sniffle and the best sideways grin he could muster, Gordon let out a thick chuckle, "Oh - and that'll be the l-last time I do if I can - help it."

The dull roar of the engines signified they were off, Virgil announcing the hospital was only six minutes away. It was terrifying and welcoming at the same time, his memories of his accident still fresh.

"John's gonna be pissed," Scott groaned as he leaned against the wall.

"Par for the course," Alan laughed, fully aware of the effect the earthbound brothers had on the elder astronaut. John tended to deal with their injuries from too far away. Today, he was simply oblivious to them. Maybe that was better. Hit him with the good news and then he could chew them out with the knowledge they were okay.

The ride continued with Alan still fussing over him, but as soon as they landed, they were loaded onto stretchers and wheeled into the emergency department. Five hours and a whole lot of barb removal plus topical ointment later, they'd both been discharged back to their brothers.

Gordon had taken a good look at himself in the mirror after witnessing Scott's skin covered in little red speckles. The worst of it had covered the elder brother's arms as he'd been trying to swipe the jellyfish away.

As predicted, Gordon had them everywhere as well, but the solid red patch that covered the back of his neck all the way past his shoulder blades explained why he'd reacted so poorly.

Now, with heat packs and plenty of ginger tea to help soothe their rebellious stomachs, they had settled into a movie night. John was back and subtly eyeing them from his place on the couch and Gordon found it endearing. They didn't get to experience their brother's ire in person that often and it just reminded them he wasn't an overbearing observer happily snooping on them from space.

Scott shifted next to him, his hand running over the long sleeve of his loose shirt. Gordon instantly regretted watching as he felt his own itch building and he reached over to grab the appendage.

"Sorry," was whispered under the sound of over the top stunts that involve ridiculously fast cars.

"Need more cream?" He mainly asked because his skin was also demanding it. The brunette nodded and pushed off the couch stiffly. Gordon accepted the hand up and they both headed for their rooms, earning a cursory glance from Virgil and John. Alan was too engrossed in the movie he'd picked to notice.

Their intent had been to ease their itch and head back to join their brothers, but after the arduous task of having to apply full body amounts of antihistamine that aided the oral meds they'd already taken, it wasn't a surprise that both had crashed in the same room. Their brothers would find them fast asleep to escape the torment of a poor decision meant in good fun.

Never again would Gordon throw his brothers into the ocean again - at least not before he made sure it was safe.


End file.
